A favorite drumbeat for the right wing is "Your property taxes will go up!" (State Senator Mary Lazich is practically Ringo Starr in this regard). Republican staffer (and employee of Senator Lazich) Kevin Fischer, in particular, posits endlessly that the "tax hell" of Franklin will soon result in a loss of residents due to high property taxes. If taxes were to go up again in order to support the school district's unavoidable growth, he says, the loss would only increase. Or something.
The reality is, of course, quite different. But that doesn't make for good dogma (or good right wing talk radio):
Franklin sees population boom, census data show
14.6% growth since 2000 continues to reshape land
By BILL GLAUBER and BEN POSTON
bglauber@journalsentinel.comPosted: June 28, 2007
Franklin - John M. (Jack) Bennett started work as Franklin's city engineer in 1969, when the Police Department operated out of an old barn and 12,000 people called the city home.
"I used to know all the roads," Bennett said. "We've been growing so fast I don't know them anymore."
U.S. Census Bureau figures released Wednesday show Franklin's estimated population is 33,812, an increase of more than 4,000 people, or 14.6%, since the 2000 census. The percentage increase is the largest among cities of more than 20,000 in southeastern Wisconsin.
In a country with more than 300 million people, Franklin's numbers might be little more than a population blip.
But in southeastern Wisconsin, those numbers reflect real growth that affects the landscape, with new housing subdivisions, strip malls, business parks, road construction, sewers and water.
"We have subdivisions still being built," Bennett said. "We're working on bike trails on the old inner-urban line so you can bike Beloit to Franklin. We're going nuts."
Other cities in southeastern Wisconsin registered smaller gains, or, in the case of Milwaukee, continued a population decline, according to population estimates from July.
Milwaukee ranks 25th
Milwaukee is now the country's 25th largest city with 573,358 residents. But the city's population has declined 4%, or 23,616 people, since the 2000 census.
Since the 2000 census, Oak Creek's population increased 13.7%, or 3,885 people, Mequon's population increased 8.1%, or 1,777, Kenosha's population increased 6.5%, or 5,888, while Racine's population declined 2.8%, or 2,263.
To a civil engineer such as Bennett, population figures aren't just numbers - they are people who need essential services such as sanitation, snow removal and schools.
And the raw population numbers don't always show how modern Americans live, with smaller families in larger homes. Bennett said there used to be 4.2 people per household in Franklin. Now, it's down to 3.2
"We have to have more structures to maintain single-parent families," he said. "Seniors are living longer, and they'll need more housing. When you look at the growth, more structures are being built."
Bennett, 67, said he was born to be a civil engineer, following in the footsteps of his father, who worked for the Iowa Highway Department.
Bennett literally has watched over the building of Franklin for nearly 40 years, with the construction of 190 miles of sewer lines, 120 miles of road, a city hall, police department, two water towers, 350 housing subdivisions, assorted shopping malls and a sprawling business park.
He has worked with eight mayors and about 100 aldermen in Franklin.
But one boss stands out the most: Theodore J. (Ted) Fadrow, the city's colorful longtime mayor, who died in 1996.
Remembering a mayor
Bennett's job interview took place at Fadrow's Dreamland Motel on S. 27th St.
"He was a bricklayer," Bennett said. "You'd shake his hand, and tears would come to your eyes."
The Dreamland is long gone.
Now, there is a supermarket and a home-improvement store, Bennett said.
Bennett said the engineering department came up with the plan to lay out the city lot by lot, street by street.
"Like a jigsaw puzzle it came together," said Bennett, who recently received a lifetime achievement award at the Public Policy Forum's 15th salute to local government presentation.
When Bennett arrived, there wasn't a supermarket in town. Now, Sendik's, the upscale grocery chain, will open a store this fall at Fountains of Franklin, a retail and office center near S. 51st St. and W. Rawson Ave.
Proud of city
Bennett remains proud of the city he helped fashion but acknowledges there are critics of the growth.
"What people don't like is that they move out to a 100-foot lot and they would like to keep it country," he said. "But it isn't country anymore. We'd like to keep our wetlands and woodlands. Most people, when they get in (Franklin) would like to shut the door."
But more growth is on the way.
Bennett anticipates the city will have about 55,000 residents by 2040, while the percentage of land devoted to commercial and industrial development also will increase.
But Franklin's economic health still depends on other communities, particularly Milwaukee, doing well, Bennett said.
"We're so dependent on Milwaukee," he said. "Franklin will always be part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area."
Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Comments